Posted on

Tenant’s Interview ▏Encounters at an International Share House Taught Me About Diverse Career Opportunities

One of the most attractive features of an international exchange share house is the variety of people you can meet!

Many of our residents tell us that their sense of values has changed while living with people from all over the world and from diverse backgrounds. For this interview, we spoke with Shintaro, a third-year university student from Osaka, who actually had such an experience!

Shintaro said that he had few opportunities to interact with others due to Covid-19 and that he felt uneasy, wondering if his perspective was a little narrow. It seems that the encounters with foreign residents and working adults that awaited him at BORDERLESS HOUSE greatly broadened his perspective, especially with regard to his career. He also talked about the warm daily interactions with the residents that only share house living can offer!

“What kind of encounters and how did they change Shintaro’s career plans? ”
If you’re one of our readers who’s been wondering, “Even if it’s an international exchange share house, can I really meet all kinds of people?”. Why don’t we check this interview with our current tenant and get to know what “the BORDERLESS HOUSE life”, filled with global and diverse encounters and exchanges, can look like?

I chose BORDERLESS HOUSE to learn about the unique values and culture of foreign countries!

－First of all, please introduce yourself! How long have you been living in BORDERLESS HOUSE?

My name is Shintaro Matsuura. I am a 3rd-year student at a university in Osaka. I started living in a share house this spring, and it’s been about a year now.

－What made you decide to live in a share house?

I decided to live in a share house because I wanted to interact with people from different backgrounds. In particular, there are many people from overseas living in BORDERLESS HOUSE, and I felt that I could learn about different ways of thinking and cultures from those in Japan, so I decided to stay here!

I realized my career potential through encounters with working tenants!

－Did you have any goals before moving into the share house?

When I moved in, I wanted to broaden my horizons! This is because, due to COVID-19, I didn’t have many opportunities to get involved with other people during my college life. In particular, I had very few encounters with other adults, and I was worried that my perspective might be a bit narrow. But living in a share house and talking to all kinds of people has changed that a lot.

Take job hunting for example. Before living in the share house, my mind was dominated by the idea of “working for a company when I get out in the world” (laughs). But there were also people living in this share house who were freelance workers and other working people who had also changed jobs, and talking with these people made me realize that there are many different ways of working, which really broadened my horizons.

Housemates who were reliable like family and gave me more diverse advice than family.

－What is the best thing about living in BORDERLESS HOUSE?

There are so many things, but the best part is that I can immediately ask for help when I have a problem! Of course, I have my family at home, but in a share house, there are people from different backgrounds and with different ways of thinking, and they give me advice from a different perspective than mine, which I really appreciate.

－What is your favorite memory?

What I find attractive about share houses is that when I come home, my housemates welcome me with a “welcome home” greeting. For example, when things don’t go well at my part-time job, or when I’m feeling down, talking with my housemates naturally calms me down and makes me feel like I can start working hard again tomorrow! I feel that BORDERLESS HOUSE is a very comfortable place for me.

Thanks to my experience at Borderless House, I was able to be more proactive in my job search!

－Do you have any dreams for the future or anything you want to do?

I actually don’t have a set goal for the future right now (laughs), so I’m thinking I’ll do my best to find one from now on! This is also something I thought about after living in a share house, but by actually listening to the stories of various working people, I’ve become fascinated with jobs that I had no interest in before. I am currently in my third year of college, and I am also doing an internship, but I think that I would like to talk to people working at various jobs when I’m actually job hunting!

－What would you like to say to those who are interested in living in a share house?

If you’re not sure whether or not to move into a share house, I’d personally encourage you to do so! I personally feel that there are many things that I’ve learned through my experience living in a share house. At first, I had never even lived alone, so I was very anxious, but after actually moving to a BORDERLESS HOUSE, I feel that I have changed a lot.

Of course, speaking with people from overseas has helped me improve my English, but more than anything, I feel that it has broadened my horizons. I also feel that my communication skills have really improved through my interactions with various people. If you’re reading this article, I highly recommend shared living, and I hope you’ll consider it!

Living in a share house is a chance to make a big change in yourself!

I’m sure you’ll find that this is a share house with a wide range of residents of all nationalities and ages! Building new relationships that are different from family and friends may be one of the keys to meeting a new you.

The international exchange share house “BORDERLESS HOUSE” is currently accepting residents from both university students and working adults! We have many share houses in the Tokyo and Kansai areas.

From each share house page, you can read testimonials from current and past residents! Please check out the following pages♪

▶Tokyo Share House List
▶Kansai Share House List
▶Testimonials from Former Residents

You can do it right now in Japan. Would you like to experience studying abroad with a super multicultural group of friends from over 50 countries?

Posted on

Tenant’s Interview ▏ I have a new family and more supporters in my life!

We had an interview with one of our tenants at Borderless House, Nonoka-san, who has been living at our Nishijin House in Kyoto for almost one year. Nonoka-san is a second-year university student studying sociology. She usually volunteers as a sightseeing guide in Kyoto.

From the interview, we hope to show you what life is like at an international share house for our tenants, and hope you get a feel for the environment and community of Borderless House!

My fondest memories are of ordinary, everyday life


－Why did you choose to live in a share house?

When I started living alone in Kyoto for college, I thought it would be nice to live in a share house. I thought about the international dormitory at my university, but I decided to stay at BORDERLESS HOUSE because I could have relationships not only with classmates from my university, but also with students from other universities, workers, and a wide range of people.

－What is the best thing about living in BORDERLESS HOUSE?

There are too many to mention, but birthday parties and trips were a lot of fun, but I think it’s daily life.

I think the most important thing for me is that I have a new kind of family. In this family, regardless of age or gender, we are able to share our specialties, complement each other, and have a good time together.

Since I am a university student now, I worry a lot about my future and career path, but there are people here, such as who have work experience and others who have lived and worked overseas for a long time, so I can consult with people from all walks of life.

“Cleaning” was the hardest part of living in a share house, but now ..

－What was the hardest part of living in a share house?

I think it’s “Cleaning”. When I first came here, there were no cleaning rules or systems, so I decided I had to create one. I made some cleaning rules with my housemates who were living with me at that time, but it was difficult to coordinate the different levels of cleaning, how far one should go, what is not clean enough, etc., because everyone has a different way of thinking,

It was very difficult to get everyone to make it a habit, but now everyone has a sense of attachment to the house by cleaning it together, and I think that’s great because the house is basically kept in a clean state.

I think I would have friends in any country I go to now!

－Did you have any goals before you moved in? Did you achieve it?

It was very simple: I want to improve my English and to make many friends from all over the world.

Yes, I did! I had experience studying abroad in high school, but I think my English has improved even more since moving here. I think my English has improved to the point where I can talk about all kinds of things, not just academic topics, not to mention other trivial things. I also made more foreign friends, and I think I have more than 200 international friends now so I think I would have friends in any country I go to now.

There is no other community where such a wide variety of people gather!

－Message to those who want to live in a BORDERLESS HOUSE

I think there are so many different kinds of people at BORDERLESS HOUSE that there is no other community where such a wide variety of people gather. It is also a great opportunity to experience new values, so I highly recommend it!

Also, living with other people and jumping into a new environment can be a very difficult hurdle, and it takes a lot of courage, but once you get in, it’s not like your world will change 180 degrees, but it certainly will, so if you’re not sure, you can arrange a room viewing first with Borderless House and come to talk with the tenants at the share house. (to get a feel for the atmosphere!)

Meeting housemates from diverse backgrounds and living with them has gradually changed Nono’s world! Thank you very much for sharing your story with us!

▶ Check more： Tenant’s Interview ▏Living in a Share House while Experiencing Working Holiday in Kyoto

▶Check more： 【Tenant’s Story】Sharing times together as a big “family” is the best cure for loneliness during quarantine

Posted on

Best Kyoto Accommodation for Working Holiday: Making Local Friends in a Kyoto Share House

Curious about life in a multicultural community? In this interview, we sit down with one of our residents at Borderless House to discover why they chose us and what it’s truly like to live in an international share house in Japan.

It’s the perfect way to see what daily life and community are really like at Borderless House share houses in Japan!

Kyoto Working Holiday: Living at Borderless House Kuramaguchi

We spoke with Tarek from Canada, who traveled to Japan on a Working Holiday visa. Tarek spent six months immersing himself in the local culture while living at Borderless House Kyoto-Kuramaguchi.

  •  －How did you find BORDERLESS HOUSE? Also, why did you choose to stay at Borderless House?

I found Borderless House through Reddit. There was a “Moving to japan” subreddit and it gives a lot of information about Japan, and there was a list of “Foreigner friendly housing options” for people that are looking for a short-term stay in japan.

And I chose Borderless House because I saw all the profiles of different people and different nationalities and what they’re doing in japan. It seemed like a very welcoming place with a lot of live interaction with both Japanese and foreigners, where I could get an immediate sense of community in Japan. Since I wouldn’t have had one otherwise if I moved in by myself into my own apartment. And having to form my own social circle talking to strangers.

  • －Did you have any concerns or worries before coming? How did you solve them?

Initially, getting the visa. Since when I was applying, it was during the end of the pandemic. So, I had a concern about having a company sponsor me to come here. And then the second biggest was definitely the accommodation. Knowing how difficult it is to get accommodation as a foreigner in a country where you’re not really established.

Borderless House did really help a lot because I was the most worried about just being alone in a country where you don’t understand anything with the language barriers. Such as the Borderless House staff would gather events to meet new people. My housemates have been very helpful as well. They would make a phone call for you, and go to the ward office with you. So those difficulties were solved due to my own research as well as the support of my housemates and the staff here.

  • －When you applied for the share house and the other process, did you think everything went smoothly?

It was surprisingly fast. I mean I just put in the form and then 10 minutes later. The staff from Borderless House contacted me on skype and he was: do you have time for a call right now we talked and my accommodation was settled. The process went smoothly.

During the Skype call, everything was very easy to understand. Everything was given to you straight up as you were talking about it. Nothing was really unclear about the process and it was kind of easy that you could just pay with your credit card, you don’t have to worry about being in the country to actually get the accommodation, which is kind of a big barrier.

For a lot of people where you need a Japanese address or to be in the country to actually rent something. And it was much easier online. You got everything in like 30 minutes and then you just signed up if you feel comfortable with the property.

Living with 13 people – It might seem daunting at first, but there’s lots of room for new experiences.

  • －How did you like your stay at BORDERLESS HOUSE KYOTO-KURAMAGUCHI?

At first, I was kind of worried to be living with 13 other people. I’m kind of a solitary person for the most part, but I grew to like it pretty quickly.

I noticed that every night, there was something going on there. It was either just someone to drink with or a small party or an event. It might seem daunting at first, but there’s lots of room for new experiences. And you really want to put yourself in the position as if you were in your normal day-to-day life.

Because if I live alone after I go home, I would just watch TV, play video games, go to sleep, and then it’ll be the next day, whereas you don’t like that option of comfort, which is a bit of a downside, but it also forces you out of your comfort zone and gets you to do more things.

  • －What do you like the most about living in a share house/ living with others?

It’s definitely the parties. Such as welcome parties, bye-bye parties. It is just the sense of community at the end of the night.

They’re always different conversations going on. You’re talking to different people, meeting new people. There’s no single one that stands out but just the memory of the “Sense of community”, when we would all come together and just be like one, big international family.

To be honest, the reality of share house life was even better than I had ever imagined

  • －Do you have your own private time even living in a share house?

Yeah, sure, in my private time, what I usually like to do is go to the river close to the share house. So I’ll just put on my headphones, take a walk and then grab a coffee at a nice cafe nearby in the neighborhood.

I enjoy walking over to the river, using my camera, or just sitting there for a couple of hours, just watching the river.

  • －Have you ever lived in this kind of environment before? Is everything the same as you imagined?

No, the only other people I would ever live with were my parents. This is my first time living with this amount of people and like, strangers,

It was much closer than I imagined because I pictured myself to be a bit more standoffish. But it was nicer because you always hear horror stories about living with others, but I feel like I got very lucky with my housemates. They are very considerate and always very kind to each other. So it’s much better than I expected.

Master Japanese Naturally: It’s Like Having Seven Free Tutors at Home!

  • －How good is your Japanese? How do you communicate with your housemates?

Not very good. (Laugh) Most of my housemates speak a basic level of English. And the worst-case scenario is just emoting in sign language, you mix English and Japanese. It’s all about really trying and just trying to get the message across. It’s a lot of sign language and guesswork, but you get the message across to people.

  • －How did living with Japanese people help you learn Japanese?

I did two weeks at a language school, but I did not like actually doing the process of like going every week, just because I felt like that was a bit too much commitment. But the immersion and like seeing how the words are used in more of a colloquial context, like a day-to-day context.

I wouldn’t be able to speak Japanese in a very proper way, but I learn a lot, like the day-to-day conversation, slang, and useful phrases. There are daily expressions for you to do and do every day. So just by talking you pick up on them and what they’re saying in the context and then you internalize it that way. And then if you’re seeing it wrong, you get corrected right away.

So it’s like having seven free Japanese tutors just moving around.

Beyond One House: Building an Extended Global Family in Japan

  • －We know that you also make a lot of friends from different share houses of BORDERLESS HOUSE!

Yeah, Borderless House is a bit interconnected, for example, every once in a while, some tenants would come down from Tokyo Borderless House. Also, there are events like the sports days or Momiji.

You have your own community, but you also have a little bit of an extended community.

Events pop up to have the opportunity to meet other people, from outside your house. And interact with them as like, you have your new family here and then you have your extended family inverse of Japan.

－Could you give some advice for those who are planning to move to Japan from overseas ?

Learn Japanese first! And, just keep your mind open and don’t shut things off because you think that they’re not going to be for you or that scary. Just take the chance, because not making a decision is in itself a decision.

So, go for it to your best and just keep trying.

 ＼Explore Tarek’s Home in Kyoto!／

Tarek lived at BORDERLESS HOUSE Kyoto-Kuramaguchi. This house is famous for its spacious, open-concept common areas and its unique mission: blending global connections with local community life.

Located in a charming neighborhood where historic streets meet trendy local spots, it offers the perfect balance of authentic Kyoto living and international exchange. With easy access to Kyoto Station and the vibrant Shijo area via the Karasuma Line, it’s a top choice for students and working holiday travelers!

Explore More Stories & Tips 

Looking for more insights on living, working, and thriving in Japan? Dive into our curated collections of resident stories and expert guides:

▶️[Resident Interviews] – My Borderless House Story: Why I Couldn’t Have Met Japanese Friends Without It

▶️[Life in Japan Guide] – Change the Way You Live Abroad: BORDERLESS HOUSE & Sustainable Living in Japan

▶️[Community & Events] – Global Friendships, Kyoto Style! Party in Uji Share House Brought Everyone Together

Posted on

Make friends in a foreign language: Making mistakes is the key to getting comfortable!

Hello! My name is Reimi and I currently live in Japan. Like many of you, I fell in love with Japan a long time ago, and so living here is like making a dream come true. But of course, there are all sorts of obstacles to overcome when it comes to living in a foreign country or learning a new language. Given the chance to write about it, I wanted to write about the difficulties and rewards of learning Japanese. Saying you want to learn a foreign language is definitely easier said than done; you’re not alone in struggling, but it can be so worth it! 

YOUR REASON

What brings you to Japan?

The answer to this question might be different for each person, of course. Some people move to Japan for work, some come for school. Some have always wanted to visit, interested in the things that make Japan unique, like scenery, art, or food. Some want to learn Japanese or make friends in Japan. Some even come to Japan and end up never leaving! There are even programs that allow one to travel extensively and stay in foreign countries for an extended period of time with accommodation provided, such as work holidays or internship programs.

No matter what one’s reasons are, however, the fact remains that moving to a foreign country gives one a chance to learn about a new culture and learn a new language. They say that travel can teach you about yourself, expanding your horizons and challenging yourself in unfamiliar situations, so imagine how much more you’ll learn when you live somewhere entirely new.

EXPECTATION VERSUS REALITY

Myself, I’ll have been living in Japan for almost five years total. For most of that time, I came as a student, so making friends was definitely something I was looking forward to. Plus, at the time I moved, I had just barely graduated high school and I had never lived apart from my family, so there were always concerns that I would be isolated without a network as I had back home. I would be fending for myself for the first time – and in a foreign country where I barely spoke the language no less! From the start, I was too excited to think of anything but finally being in Japan for the long term, but my family held a lot of apprehensions about a young woman living alone in a foreign country.

But honestly speaking, if I had to choose one thing, the scariest thing about having moved to Japan is speaking Japanese. There are still times I worry that my language ability is not enough when I am nervous about being able to convey to the other person the things I am thinking. Or that I’m going to misunderstand or be disrespectful.

For a younger me, this was actually really terrifying. I would think to myself: How can I become friends with someone when we don’t speak the same language? Why would they like me when I can’t tell them about myself? When I can’t understand them? When I’m constantly making mistakes?

But as I’ve gotten more comfortable living in Japan, the more I realize that that way of thinking is entirely wrong. As scary as it is, and especially how difficult it is, I think one of the most important things I’ve learned is that making mistakes is the key to getting good.

No one does anything perfectly from the start. No one can automatically play piano without hitting a few wrong notes or ride a bike without falling a few times. Learning a language is no different. Language learning shouldn’t be treated as a one-time test where you are either fluent or you’re not. Learning how to speak a new language and getting comfortable with it will take time. You need to ‘break in’ so to speak.

The easiest way to do this is to simply use it, mistakes and all. Every mistake I have made while learning Japanese makes it easier as well to remember the correction, which in turn gives me the feeling that I’m really improving, even if it’s little by little. And sometimes too, the mistakes I make are the very reason I make friends. Sometimes it’s someone catching an error and generously correcting me, or sometimes it’s a little slip of the tongue that makes us laugh, humor transcending language in a way that needs no translation.

We learn from our mistakes.

When I first moved to Japan, of course, I heard a lot more Japanese than I had in America. I had gotten used to the convenience store routine (‘do you need a bag?’ ‘would you like this warmed up?’ ‘do you have a point card?’), and I could tell which ingredients I needed at the grocery store. But compared to when I first came to Japan, my speaking ability had barely improved at all.

The issue was this: I was not actually speaking Japanese!

AN IMPORTANT WAKE UP CALL

All of my friends spoke English. I didn’t have a tv and didn’t even try to read books in Japanese. There were events at school that I did not join, thinking I didn’t speak enough Japanese to be of any help or have any fun. In other words, I was a foreigner living in Japan, without really living in Japan. In other words, I had found myself in the “foreigner bubble” where I was not using Japanese in my life.

Naturally, it’s easier to express yourself the way you want to express yourself when you are using your mother tongue. And no surprise, it can be easier to “click” with another person when you don’t have to first surpass the hurdle of understanding what the other person is saying.

But I think that being able to speak fluently is completely different from being able to communicate, and your language ability will have nothing to do with it!

Every time you speak you are improving your language skills, polishing things like pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Just like riding a bike, practice makes perfect!

CREATING THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITIES

So maybe the next question is, how do I start to speak more Japanese? Of course, maybe it’s a little strange to start striking up a conversation with the cashier at the register. But there are many ways to find people in social settings and the more you open yourself up to meeting new people, the more friends you’ll find you’ve made!

Here are a few suggestions:

● You can join clubs and sports meetups to find people with similar hobbies. Sharing similar interests means you already share that common ground!

● Striking up a conversation with someone in a bar or restaurant is another great way to practice and sometimes these spontaneous conversations are extremely good practice because the topics can be diverse. There’s no pressure or goal, it’s just a few folks having a good time over food and drinks!

● If you’re in Japan for school or work, you might be in a great spot to meet people! There are always student activities, like group circles or hangouts. And you can also take advantage of working with the same people every day to strike up conversations in passing or use Japanese in more formal settings. Who knows, maybe you’ll become friends naturally?

● There are also language exchange apps like Hellotalk and HiNative. I’ve met lots of people through these apps, and the best part is that these are people who share the same desire as me: to get better at speaking their chosen language.

● Sharehouses! No surprise, sharehouses are great for learning languages! They’re a little like the best of all worlds; they bring together people with similar goals: making friends and learning more about other cultures. Borderless House in particular hosts lots of great events that give tenants a chance to kick back and have fun with one another, so you can really take advantage of the Borderless House’s support network and Borderless Mates network. Another great aspect of sharehouses is that you’re forced to really communicate with each other to live together happily and peacefully. You’ll learn more about other people’s values, unique perspectives, backgrounds, and what inspires them. And better yet, because you live together, it’s only natural that you can become closer a little at a time, day by day.

What do you think?

IN CONCLUSION

Truly, it wasn’t until I made a concerted effort to step out of my comfort zone that I felt my language ability starting to improve. And as my language ability began to improve, Japanese also started to become more and more fun and making friends became easier. Even now, I still make plenty of mistakes, but that’s not a bad thing at all. It’s important to remind yourself that everyone starts somewhere, even you, with your native language, and look at you now!

Perhaps you haven’t yet had the chance to visit, but you’d like to experience Japan for yourself! If you’ve found this page, maybe that day is sooner rather than later. Good luck!

Posted on

【Tenant’s Interview】Changes in myself while living in Borderless House

Hello, this is Ayako from Borderless House!
Summer has just come here in Seoul. How are you doing?

This time, I talked with Euihyun about the living in share house and how she changed there. If you are you considering about moving into Borderless House, this interview must help you!

Also, if you are interested in learning languages, living abroad or having international experience, you must enjoy reading 🙂

Let’s get start it!

What were you doing before moving to Borderless House?

After I graduated from university, I was working but I quit after 1 year and then I went back to my parent’s home.  I was struggling with my future. I was willing to live abroad or work abroad but I was not sure if I really could do it.  And if I want to live or work abroad, I need to practice English in daily life so I had been thinking this kind of things. 

What made you decide to move to Borderless House?

I was not sure which way I should go but I was sure about the things that I need to do, which is to have a similar experience to the one I was dreaming.

“Let’s live in an English-speaking environment. It must be like paying the cost for English academy and accommodation altogether reasonably!” So I chose this International Share House, Borderless House.

How was the result?

I could get used to living there only after one day! (haha) I just spent every single day normally and I suddenly found myself like I was changing and growing up a lot. I can tell you these three things. 

Firstly, I could choose the room which matched with all of my preferences

For me, it was important to have a shared space and personal space both. The house I chose met this condition so this was the first reason I chose here.

The house I chose is Chungjeongno1 House and it has the most active community so I thought I could have many opportunities to speak English with housemates.  

I also wanted to live in a spacious room so I chose a double room.
I was planning to decide if I live longer or not after I live for a month and the minimum staying period in Borderless House was 1 month so it was also an advantage compared to the other share house companies. 

I could made a choice, considering where and how to live and my own standards and conditions. Then my independent life started.

 (With my roommate, Jessica)

Secondly, I was able to experience the future life indirectly.

Although it was a vague goal, I knew that going abroad is a choice which I have to spend a lot of cost, time and energy. Also I will be separated from family and friends.

I thought living in Borderless House would become an opportunity to judge whether I could challenge abroad.

While living there, I realized that I really like English. Whenever I have time, I chose to talk with foreign friends even though there were some Korean friends. Of course speaking in English is not easy but at the moment I learned and it was fun to share my opinions with friends from other countries. I realized that English (language) is a tool, a way to open new doors.

(Dinner with my housemates)

Thirdly, my view of life and possibilities for my life have broadened

I was thinking that it was very difficult to study and work abroad. However after I lived at Borderless House, I realized that “It might not be so difficult to live in other countries. Just as I can choose to live in Korea, this is also the thing I can choose.”

While living in an international exchange share house, I realized that I had strong desires to speak English well and to live in various places. So I started to believe in myself more.

Do you have anything you would like to tell those who are considering moving into Borderless House?

You can see this sentence on the Borderless House web page.
‘Living in International exchange Share House, step to the world.’
Maybe it sounds a little bit abstract.

However,  if you have even small interest in using English and living in an international environment, you can ask yourself about it. What is the international exchange destination for you?

In my case, I could get the answer after I decided to live in an international exchange share house. The daily life in international environment always gave me some questions and I kept thinking about the answers and then I could reach to my own answers.

To get a mutual understanding by talking or discussing in English.
To get a confidence that I can live abroad out of Korea.
To get to know that there are something that I can do even in other countries.
To have friends abroad and feel the friends’ countries very close

These are the definition of what is international for me.

If you have the ability you want, put yourself into an environment where you can practice it. I can confidently tell you that you will have your own international meaning, even if you cannot guarantee what experience you will experience!

Thank you for those kind words. Thank you for today 🙂

Today, I always worry or think about friends from all over the world.
Actually we had a conversation via Skype with my previous housemates a few days ago. The color of the sky in each screen was different. It was 11pm in Korea but it was at 10am in the United States, and 4pm in Switzerland. However, we were glad to see one screen and said hello each other. Someday I will visit their countries to meet them in person. And I will tell them like this.

“Hey! I came near your house! come out! Let’s eat dinner! “

 

 

Posted on

【Borderless residents】At the age of thirty, I decided to move into this international shared house to work abroad in the future

Borderless house is a multicultural ‘community’ share house in which young people from all over the world cultivate international cultural exchange by gathering and living under one roof.

This cross-cultural share house provides not only an opportunity for improving your English skills but also a chance to create a great community of locals and foreigners, as well as an opportunity to learn new perspectives.

Many of our tenants from all over the world have a unique sense of humor and experiences that you could never imagine.

From this, we started a new project called “Borderless tenants”, which consists of interviewing tenants about how they have changed or grew as a person through their experiences at Borderless house.

The second interviewee of this series is Mr. guhee, a tenant of Borderless house for the last year and a half. He chose to live here because he decided to start studying English before he turns 30 years old.

We asked him about his great progress in his English skills and his change from a Japanese to a foreign company.

My big change before turning 30.Start your preparation for working abroad at Borderless house.

ーThank you for joining us. Please introduce yourself.
My name is Gohee. I will turn 32 years old this year. My housemates call me ‘Gohee or Gucchi’.

I have been living in the Shinagawa-oimachi house since October 2018, so for almost one and a half years. I love sports and play tennis and go bouldering quite often. Before COVID19, my housemates and I used to go play sports together once a week.

I like cooking as well, so I would sometimes cook for my housemates or we would cook together.

ーWhat made you move into Borderless house?
Just before turning 30 years old, I was looking back on my career and thought that I would like to try working abroad. Then I decided to start studying English to achieve this, and that is why I decided to move into Borderless House.
When I asked my friend for advice, he said ‘quit your job now and go study abroad’

However, I didn’t want to quit my job at the time, so I was looking for a better option. This was when I decided to study English on my own.

I started looking for a share house that would allow me to live with people from other countries and

found Borderless House.

ーSo you decided to move into a share house at the age of 30! Were you living alone until then?
Yes, I have lived by myself for 7 years in Tokyo and this was my first time living in a sharehouse.

The most impressive moment for me was my housemates threw a birthday party for me on the day I moved in

ーDid you have any problems whilst living with others?
A lot of things left an impression on me, rather than actual problems.
The day that I had moved in may have left the biggest impression on me.

That day happened to be the day of housemate’s birthday party.

I was invited to go to see the fireworks by my housemates. So I went with them in the afternoon without even unpacking and celebrated his birthday at a Yakiniku restaurant.

On my first day…even though I didn’t know their faces and names yet, my housemates didn’t mind at all and took me with them. I still remember the feelings of surprise and confusion I felt that day very clearly.

ーGoing to see fireworks with your housemates on your very first day… That’s quite a unique experience! Are there any other memories that stand out for you?
My birthday party that was held 2 weeks after I moved in is also quite a good memory.
I was never able to show off my talent of “making nigiri sushi” until then, but it finally came in handy and it was a great hit.

I served my handmade Sushi to everyone and my housemates, especially my non-Japanese housemates were very impressed with how people can make Sushi by themselves!

At the Oimachi House, we always hold birthday parties and farewell parties for everyone and each of them is very good memories for me.

(手巻き寿司パーティーの時の様子)

ーIt is fantastic that a tradition of celebrating and sending people off has been built already in your Sharehouse. Do you go out together often?

We go out together often. We’ve been to Roppongi and Yoyogi-park to have picnics, we’ve attended a glass-making workshop, etc.
I like planning events and asking people to join, so last summer I made my own Nagashi-somen and it was a big hit!

Sharehouse is a place for practice; I learned English through my daily life

ーIs there anything you decided to try out after moving in the sharehouse?
My main objective behind living in Sharehouse was learning English, so I mainly tried studying and improving my ability to communicate in English.
When I moved in, I didn’t speak English so it was hard to communicate with my housemates, especially for the first 2 months. I just studied every day.
Other things that I tried to do besides studying by myself are going out with housemates, as well as attending parties and events to communicate with them more on my day off. Because of this, after a while, my English started to improve.

ーWhat else did you do to learn English? Please give us more details.
One of my housemates works at an English conversation school, so I studied with the textbooks and vocabulary books that he/she recommended.
One of the good aspects of living in an international share house is how I was able to try using new words and phrases in conversations with my housemates right after learning them.

ーHave your housemates helped with your studies?
As there were 10 non-Japanese residents in my share house at that time, and most of them didn’t speak Japanese, I was able to learn English by just being with them.
My housemates also helped me by giving me vocabulary quizzes when I was studying in the living room.
When I was studying for the TOEIC exam, they helped me until 2 in the morning.

ーHow much did your TOEIC score improve?
My score was in the 400s when I first moved in, but after a year at the share house, my score improved and went over 800. The fact that my score improved even though I didn’t study exclusively for the test and was only studying the basics made me realize how much my English improved. It made me really happy.

ーWas the greatest change you saw in yourself since moving in the improvement of your English skills? 
While this is true, I think making friends from all over the world and experiencing first hand the differences in our ways of thinking was a larger change for me. I’d never had friends from foreign countries so it was very new to me.

For example, even though I knew that different countries have differences in education, there was never a chance for me to ask what kind of education they grew up with. It was interesting to learn what was different from Japanese education.
ーHas this change been useful in your daily life?
Since I live with housemates who have different perspectives, it became easier for me to accept different perspectives that people of different generations have.

My coworkers range from those in their 20s to those in their 50s and their perspectives are very different. Now I’ve changed and started to think “it’s normal for people to have different opinions, so how do we go about this?” whilst working.

There are more career options for me as my English has been improved

ーWhat made you decide to change your job?
Because my goal was to work abroad when I moved to the Borderless House, I thought my first step was to find a job where I can use English.

When I first moved in, I needed time to get used to the share house and study English. After about 6 months after moving in, I had become more confident in my English skills and then decided to look into changing my job more seriously.

ーWhat were your criteria when you were looking for a job? What did you prioritize?
As I had no experience using English in my career, I knew it would be difficult for me to work for a company that uses English as its official language. Therefore, I started by applying for Japanese companies, because I thought there would be a higher chance of me getting hired. However, it became possible for me to apply to foreign companies after my TOEIC scores improved and I had more options available to me.

ーWhat made you decide to work at your current company?
First of all, the company has offices in 15 countries worldwide, so it allows opportunities of getting transferred to foreign branches. Second of all, while the company’s official language is English, most of the company’s clients are Japanese businesses, so I am able to use both Japanese and English for communication. I think this is a good work environment for me, as I have just been studying English for a year.

ーBesides learning English, were there any other advantages in living in Borderless house whilst looking for a job?

It was good that I was able to get inside information on foreign companies that I didn’t know about. After I started applying for foreign companies, I realized how few foreign companies Japanese people knew about.

Before applying for the job, I wasn’t aware of the company I work for now. My British housemate gave me information and advice about it, and that was what made me apply.

I am grateful for being able to learn about various foreign companies from housemates who are from the county the company originated in.

ーWhat are your future goals now that you’ve experienced living in Borderless House?

My goal when I was 30 years old was to work abroad, but now my goal is to move to a foreign country by the time that I am 40.

The first step for me now is to be transferred to a foreign branch.

ーYou had said before that you didn’t know which country you would like to live in. How about now? Do you have a certain country in your mind?
I would like to try living in an English speaking country first.

However, I would love to live in Germany eventually. Before changing jobs I had the opportunity to go see a past housemate and traveled across 4 countries in Europe for the first time. I was very drawn to Germany then.

There is more than one way to learn English. However, being able to make friends from all over the world is the greatest benefit to stay at a share house

ーFinally, please give one piece of advice to our future tenants!
There are many ways to learn English. You can go to a language school, using on-line English conversation classes, YouTube, etc.
But, if you live in Borderless house, you will not only learn English. You will also be able to learn different values and perspectives. The best part about living in Borderless house is that it allows you to make friends from all over the world!

ーYour story of setting goals, taking measures towards achieving that goal will surely be helpful for future tenants thinking of joining with the intention of learning English! Thank you so much for your fantastic story Guhee-san!

Editor’s Note

What did you think about Higuchi-san’s story?

Please refer to Higuchi-san’s notes when thinking about life at the sharehouse or finding a new way to learn English. He has shared his specific methods of studying and his process of finding a new job.

gooheeさんHiguchi-san’s Notes

Meeting new people will definitely lead to a great change.

Borderless house is filled with unique and diverse people from all over the world.

Why don’t you join us and experience “change”?

Posted on

【Let’s travel abroad!】 Your housemates are waiting for you even in other countries!

Hello, this is Borderless House!

Do you like traveling abroad?

Borderless House has share houses in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. So we have a special program only for our tenants which you can stay in other share houses in other countries for free.

It’s called “House Exchange Program”.

You can stay for 5 nights at minimum and for 1 month at maximum so it is convenient when you go to other countries for travel or short study on vacation!

If you use this program when you travel alone to a country you visit for the first time, how will it be..?

Today, let me introduce Motomu who is living in a house in Tokyo and came to Korea, using this House Exchange Program.

Motomu’s profile

・4th grade in a university in Tokyo
・Going to start working in his hometown from next spring
・Living in Borderless House for more than half a year
・Moved in Borderless House in order to practice English and make friends from other countries
・Likes music, calligraphy, cooking, and Kendo

 

（↓ Once he moved in, he could get friends at his house! He is on the left.）

What made you use “House Exchange Program”?

That’s because I can have housemates even in the country where I never visited before and I can be a friend of them!

And I don’t need to pay any fee so it was also an attractive point! It is a nice concept for students who don’t have enough money. lol

 

（↓He could easily get close to his housemates within a few hours!）

Why KOREA？

I decided to visit Korea this time because I’m from Fukuoka which is really close to Korea and most of my friends already had visited Korea.

I had been thinking that I wanted to visit as soon as possible while I have enough time.　

And also I like spicy food so I wanted to try them!

（↓Korean food Motomu tried while he was in Korea,）

How did you spend time with your housemates?

I could enjoy the time with all the housemates!

On my arrival day, one of the housemates Alice cooked food for me. She is a really warm and kind person like a mother for everyone. I was really happy for her warm welcome.

If I go to the living room, I could meet someone so I think I was drinking all the time with my housemates. lol

There were Japanese tenants and they guided me to some famous sightseeing places. We visited some historical places and enjoyed Korean food together.

I ate a lot and drank a lot but it was super fun!

 

（↓The places he visited.）

What was the most memorable experience?

It was the drinking with a housemate and the housemate’s friend and the friend’s friend. lol  Most of the members meet each other for the first time.

At first, I thought only I was the new person but later I got to know that most of us were the first time to meet and there was a person who lived in Borderless House Kyoto and came to Korea just for a trip.

It was unexpected members but connected with Borderless House so we could be close soon and it was the most fun moment in my stay! 

（↓Eating Korean food together.）

Did you discover any new things in yourself?

The house I stayed in Korea was bigger than the one I live in Tokyo and the house has more members and an at-home atmosphere.

It might be because of the big number of people but everyone was just like a family member and I would like to see them again.

Koenji2 House has really fancy facilities with a music studio. However, some members use the studio just for their own purpose. I hope we can use the place together in order to make our community more active. I thought it was important to change their minds gradually!

I want to tell that to my housemates in Korenji2 House in order to reproduce the at-home atmosphere in my house in Seoul!

 

（↓At Han River at night.）

Any other things to tell?

I want Borderless House in the United States and Australia, too! lol

(Staff: Oh, yes! We will do our best to realize it !!!!)　

（↓Near the house. All tenants like the neighbor dog.）

Editorial note

In Japan, he usually welcomes housemates from other countries as a local person but in Seoul, he was welcomed by his housemates as a new housemate from another country.

It must have been a new experience for him.

Your housemates are waiting for you in other countries which you never visited before.
Borderless House is such community that you can connect to the world.

Why don’t you try to have an at-home travel experience like this in Borderless House? It must be totally different from the one alone.

 

Please check it our the detail of House Exchange Program here!

Posted on

「帶著外國朋友遊台北」全攻略！（美食篇）

來台灣玩，當然不能錯過在地美食囉！

如果有外國朋友來台北，應該推薦他們什麼呢？要怎麼吃才盡興？
別擔心，我們今天替大家整理了幾個外國人力推的美食景點，給大家做參考囉！

1. 夜市：

大多數來台灣的外國旅客，清單上一定少不了夜市這樣一項！光是在台北的夜市，大大小小就高達十數個！

我們今天就根據外國人最愛的幾個夜市作介紹吧！

▪士林夜市： 士林夜市絕對是遊客必去的景點之一。其佔地面積較廣，攤位種類多元，有吃又有玩，吃飽喝足後，還能到遊戲攤小試身手，絕對能讓外國朋友玩得盡興！

▪饒河夜市： 饒河夜市是個以美食為主的夜市，其美食種類眾多，各種特色小吃在這裡都找的到，若朋友是個熱愛美食的饕客，饒河夜市肯定是第一首選！另外，饒河夜市旁還有彩虹橋，很適合大吃大喝後，到河岸邊走走唷！

▪師大夜市： 除了美食之外，師大夜市還有許多服飾小店，對於喜歡逛街的朋友肯定是一大福音！逛街逛累了，來盤滷味、一杯珍奶，體力充足後再戰下一間！快推薦給你的購物狂朋友們吧！

2. 東門市場
忙碌又充滿人情味的傳統市場，是許多台灣人的共同回憶，對於外國朋友來說，也是一個體驗在地生活的好機會。位於台北的東門市場，隱藏了許多傳統的好滋味，諸如是：米粉湯、赤肉羹、餡餅、豆花……等傳統美食，絕對能讓外國友人念念不忘喔！

3. 永康街
永康街周圍除了有外國人最愛的鼎泰豐外，還有許多知名的特色小吃。像是米其林推薦的永康牛肉麵、排隊美食天津蔥抓餅、老字號東門餃子館，都是非常適合介紹給外國朋友的在地美食喔！

4. 中式早餐店

一日之計在於晨，開始一天的行程前，先帶朋友去品嘗傳統的中式早餐吧！台北美味的中式早餐非常多，各家都有自己獨特的風味，像是古亭站的劉媽媽飯糰、新北市的永和豆漿，或是被米其林推薦為全台中式早餐代表，善導寺附近的阜杭豆漿，絕對要帶著外國朋友去朝聖啊！

以上的幾個台北美食tips給大家做參考，不知道大家喜歡嗎？

或是你也有自己的必吃清單呢？歡迎跟我們分享喔！

Posted on

Event | Beitou, JunjianYan Day Tour – Taiwan

Explore Taiwan with BORDERLESS HOUSE!

We went to Junjian Yan and Beitou for one day trip this time, and we got more than 20 peoples joined us!!

↓ Met up at 9:30am, a bit introduction and explained the itinerary before we started.

The entrance of Junjian Yan hiking trail is in the National Yang Ming University, will reach it after walking about 15min from the school gate.

The Junjian Yan hiking trail start with a lot of stairs, and there’s a pavilion is en route, we spent a while there resting and chatting, was really relaxing!

10 min after left the pavilion, we arrived the Junjian Yan scenic spot.

↓From the top of the Junjian Yan, you can get 360∘view of Taipei and mountains.

And of course, remember to take some photos there and share it with your friends! But please make sure you’ll watch out your steps when you climb up the top of Junjian Yan! We don’t want anybody falling down from there!

After everyone got their perfect shot, we follow the hiking trail heading to Zhaoming Temple.

The Zhaoming Temple has very special building design, it’s even different with other temples in Taiwan.

The roof is all the way down to the ground from the top, the whole building is looks like a big triangle.

Nearly the noon time, we arrived the CBD of Beitou, and get ready for our lunch!

Everybody spent too much energy at the morning time, so we also had some cold brinks and chill a bit at the restaurant after lunch.

Itinerary in afternoon is visit the Beitou Library, Puchi Temple and Thermal Valley.

The Beitou Green Building Library is the first green building library in Taiwan, you can also enjoy the mountains view and the relaxing breeze while you reading. But please noticed, using the camera is not allowed after you enter the library.

The Beitou Green Building Library is the first green building library in Taiwan, you can also enjoy the mountains view and the relaxing breeze while you reading. But please noticed, using the camera is not allowed after you enter the library.

Last place we visited in Beitou is Thermal Valley. The Thermal Valley is a source of Beitou hot spring, it’s also the hottest hot spring in this area, the average temperature is between 90 to 100 degree.

The misty phenomenon year round makes it looks like a wonderland! But of course, if you can visit here during the winter time will be better than summer!

After the itinerary in Beitou, we decided to end up our day tour with shaved ice! Have you try the traditional shaved ice in Taiwan? Choose some topping by yourself and glaze some syrup. Yummmm!

It’s time to say goodbye! We really appreciate your join, and hope we can show you more places of Taiwan in the future!

 

 

 

Posted on

HOUSE EXCHANGE Emi Tokyo to Seoul

House Exchange from Tokyo to Seoul!

 

Hello, this is Share House Borderless House!

One of our tenants in Tokyo, Emi has been to Seoul for a week by house exchange program!

She told us that it was really nice trip and she made many good memories in Seoul!

Why don’t we look around her trip with housemate to Seoul?

 

 

 

Hello, my name is Emi and I am staying in one of Borderless Houses in Tokyo!

I got vacation from my job, so I decided to visit Seoul with my housemate Chizuru.

I really got excited because this is my first trip to abroad!

It was really nice to participate Free House Exchange program of Borderless for my first trip!

 

 

I am interested in cooking, especially learning how to make foreign food.

So I decided to take a cooking class in Seoul with my housemate.

This class was for foreigners only, so I could meet many people from abroad!

It was really good time learning how to cook some Korean dishes.

I would like to make this dish for my housemates in Tokyo someday!

 

 

Not only for learning, but also having Korean local food was really awesome!

I had a lot of dishes such as Tteokbokki, Naeng-myun, Injeolmi etc.

This is one of dished which I had with my friend in Seoul.

It was so sweet and delicious! I cannot forget the taste of it here in Tokyo till now!

 

 

I was staying in one of houses of Borderless in Seoul.

The best thing in the house where I have stayed was the view!

The house was on 33rd floor, so I could enjoy awesome night view every night.

I would like to say thank you to staffs of Borderless House Seoul team.

that they made me to stay in this wonderful house!

 

 

These are my housemates during the term of my stay in Seoul!

I was really happy that I could make many friends in here Seoul.

Although they are going to school or work, they always helped me a lot.

I got really helpful information from them all days!

 

 

One day, one of my housemates in Seoul take me to nice Cafe.

It was really nice and I was really happy to have time with her.

Someday if she will come to Tokyo, I am surely take her to awesome places!

I would like to say thank you for all who stayed with me in Seoul!

During the term of my stay in Seoul, I had many nice experiences with all the housemates.

I think if I did not participate this program, I could not have local friends like this!

If I can get more vacation from company, I would like to participate this program again!

Thank you Borderless, I could make many good memories because of this program!

 

* Only for tenant *

If you want to join our House exchange program,

feel free to contact us! Always welcome!

Please refer to the link below for more information.

http://www.borderless-house.com/houseexchange